


go on as three

by daisysusan



Series: go on as three [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blow Jobs, Body Shots, Cunnilingus, F/M, Genderswap, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Threesome - F/M/M, girl!Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-03
Updated: 2012-10-03
Packaged: 2017-11-15 12:59:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/527584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisysusan/pseuds/daisysusan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes strangers are exactly the people you needed to find. (In which Liam is a bartender, Harry is a girl, Louis is there as well, and they fall in love over the course of a hookup.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	go on as three

**Author's Note:**

> This fic exists, basically, because last week was upsetting and I wanted to write something happy, so I grabbed some tropes I like and then somehow eleven thousand words happened. I don't know either. 
> 
> Many thanks to [torakowalski](archiveofourown.org/users/torakowalski/) for reading this over and telling me off for my Americanisms, and of course many thanks to everyone who let me email this to me and told me it was good instead of questioning my sanity for the way something I meant to be a dumb PWP turned into a proper long story with feelings. And to [paperclipbitch](archiveofourown.org/users/paperclipbitch/), because without her the ending would have gone in a different direction and I like this one a lot better.

New people don’t come into the pub all that often—at this point, Liam doesn’t just know the faces of most of the people who are ever there, he also knows their names and their favorite drinks—so when the door opens and an unfamiliar girl steps in, everyone notices. Right behind her is a bloke wearing jeans so tight Liam actually loses a few seconds wondering how he ever got them on. 

Then he notices the girl’s skirt, which is impressively short, and before he can stop himself, his eyes are tracing her legs all the way down to her high heels. 

Someone at the other end of the bar calls his name, and Liam shakes his head quickly and gestures to him, pulling another pint glass out and filling it with Adam’s lager of choice. 

By the time he’s got drinks for everyone who wants them, and chatted amicably with everyone else at the bar as well, the two new people are standing at the end of the bar nearest the door, draped over each other in a way that Liam’s come to associate with “couple who will be snogging obscenely in the corner before it’s gone eleven.” 

The girl catches his eye and winks—Liam swallows hard—before she turns to her boyfriend and says, “So, beer first, or are we going straight to shots?”

Her boyfriend looks contemplative but silly at the same time, and Liam has no idea how he’s doing it but it’s making Liam never want to look away from his face, the way his mouth is schooled into a line but his eyes are laughing. “Beer first, I think,” he says, with great seriousness, like he’s just made a grand pronouncement about the state of the world. 

“Right,” the girl says, turning to Liam. “Two of—whatever you have that’s good. Give us your favorite, actually.”

He can feel himself blushing, because he’s used to people saying that and used to the answer he has to give, but the customers usually aren’t smiling at him quite so hopefully—the customers usually don’t have an adorable dimple in one cheek that he finds himself wanting to reach out and press his thumb into. 

“I don’t drink,” Liam says, biting his lip. He might have imagined the way the boyfriend’s eyes flick down when he does it.

“You’re a barman who doesn’t drink?” the boy asks, gleeful but not really mocking. “That’s fantastic, you’re like a fictional character or something!”

Liam laughs despite himself; it _is_ like something out of a stock set of comedy characters, the barman who doesn’t drink. 

“I’m Louis,” he hears before he even manages to formulate a response. “The obnoxious flirt is Harry.”

“I’m Liam,” he says, and Louis’s face breaks into a huge smile. He’s—he’s extremely pretty, albeit in a completely different way from Harry, who is somehow even prettier. 

If Liam weren’t friends with Zayn, he’d swear up and down that Harry is the prettiest person he’s ever seen. And even though he does know Zayn, she’s never looked at him the way Harry is right now, with a smile so big it looks painful but something behind her eyes that suggests things Liam’s not willing to think about while he’s at work. 

“How about two pints of the most popular one, then?” Harry asks, with a huge smile and eyes that laugh as nicely as Louis’s. Liam hands them over, and waves off Louis’s move to pay.

“I can start you a tab,” he says, and they agree enthusiastically.

It’s a Friday night, so within thirty minutes the pub is crowded enough that Liam can’t focus on Harry and Louis any more than anyone else, pouring pints and shots and the occasional mixers. They don’t leave, which is a bit unusual. They each have a couple more pints and smile at him a bit too much every time he comes over, but they don’t actually order any of the shots Harry was talking about. 

Things do eventually start to slow down, and as people start filtering out of the pub—to their homes or to clubs that’ll serve alcohol later into the night, Liam has no idea—Harry calls his name. 

He’s not looked over at them for a while now, and they’re draped even closer to each other than they were when they came in. Harry’s half in Louis’s lap, it seems, and he’s got his face buried in the crook of her neck, giggling slightly. They’re not snogging in the corner, though, so it seems that particular prediction of his wasn’t quite right. 

“When do you stop serving?” Harry asks, and except for her eyes being a bit wider than earlier, she doesn’t look drunk. (Liam’s got to the point where he can’t stop himself noticing things like that, whether he needs to call someone a taxi to get home or cut them off entirely.)

“Midnight,” he says, and Harry and Louis grin deviously. Liam’s left floundering a bit; they seem to be having whole conversations with their eyes, and he can’t keep up at all.

“Why’s everyone leaving at eleven, then?” Louis asks. 

“Everyone’s so used to the alcohol getting cut off then that they forget we serve later,” Liam says. “Or they never asked in the first place. Either way, means I get to go home earlier.”

If Liam had to try and place the look on Harry’s face, he’d say it meant she wanted to pinch his cheeks. “Oh, but we just asked,” she says with a smile that can only be described as cheeky. 

“So when you say you don’t drink,” Louis begins, and if Liam weren’t so inexplicably charmed by his persistent smile, he’d be extremely wary right now. “Do you mean that you don’t like to, or that you can’t, or that you can’t _at the pub_?”

It’s a totally inappropriate question, of course, because what if the answer were “I’m a recovering alcoholic?” Liam doesn’t say that, and it occurs to him a moment later a recovering alcoholic probably shouldn’t be working in a bar regardless. Instead, he tells the truth. Always the easiest thing, right?

“I wasn’t allowed until recently because I only had one kidney, so I’m not very fond of the taste.”

Well. Mostly the truth.

“You used to only have one kidney?” Louis’s face is screwed up in confusion, and now Harry’s giggling a bit as well. “What, did the second one magically grow back or something?”

Liam can’t help himself; their laughter is contagious. “No, I always had both but one of them didn’t work properly for years. I guess it did kind of magically fix itself, though.”

“That’s brilliant,” Louis says. “Now you’ve got a magic kidney!”

Harry takes a different tack. “What would you say if we offered to buy you a tequila shot? Because I want one, and Louis always wants one, and I’d quite like to see you after one.”

Liam feels his whole face turn the color of a beet, because he’s not sure anyone has ever said something like that to him, but then Louis immediately bests it. 

“Wow, Harry,” he whispers, and maybe if he hadn’t already had the best part of three pints, it would have been quiet enough for Liam to not hear. But then maybe Louis intends for Liam to hear. “He’s so adorable when he blushes. I wonder what else would make him turn that color?”

That’s. That’s a come-on, or it would be if they’d meant for him to hear it. 

It’s been a long time since Liam’s had sex, a genuinely long time, and he doesn’t think he’s ever been propositioned by anyone as pretty (or as charming) as Harry or Louis, and the fact that both of them might be hitting on him together honestly makes his brain kind of turn to static. 

“How about those shots, then?” Louis says, and his voice has got lower in the last few _seconds_. Liam isn’t quite sure what it’s doing to him, but he probably shouldn’t mix that feeling with alcohol. 

“Er,” he says. 

At this time of night, often the only person left in the pub is Niall, sitting in his regular chair and nursing a pint while he chats with Liam about their boring things that’ve happened in their lives. But Niall’s gone home to Ireland for the week, and the pub owner’s on holiday as well, in the south of France or somewhere, and Harry’s smile is _exceptionally _winning. She and Louis are both looking at him expectantly.__

__“I really shouldn’t,” he says, because it’s true—he’s still got another half an hour before they close, and it’s his job to close the place up, which means lots of cleaning and all kinds of nonsense, and drinking is going to be counterproductive to all of that._ _

__“What’ll happen if you do?”_ _

__“Nothing really,” Liam says reluctantly, shifting from one foot to the other behind the bar. “But I won’t want to close up properly, and then it’ll be a right mess for Josh tomorrow morning.”_ _

__“Drinking turns you into a slacker?” Louis says. “Are you sure you’re not an advert warning about the dangers of a wild party lifestyle?”_ _

__“No,” Liam says, after a beat, and then Harry nearly falls off her stool laughing. It makes Liam a lot prouder than he ought to be, but there you are._ _

__Louis’s eyes narrow, and Liam has no idea what it means but, really, he’s already figured out that these two ought to have him worried. “Why don’t you clean everything up now and then all that’ll be left for tomorrow is the shot glasses?”_ _

__Actually, it’s not a terrible suggestion, and Liam hurries through cleaning everything up while Harry and Louis finish off their pints, then pulls out three shot glasses and a bottle of tequila off the top shelf. He erases their tab from the till, because he does like them and, well, nothing increases the chances of sex like giving someone free drinks._ _

__Harry and Louis don’t ask for lime and salt with their shots, and Liam honestly figures his is going to be vile either way and thus doesn’t bother with them. He’s shit at shots, mostly from lack of practice, but being a bit tipsy isn’t unpleasant at all, and nor is the company tonight. It’s nearly midnight already, so he slips out from behind the bar and flips the sign to ‘Closed,’ before sitting down next to Louis and filling the shot glasses._ _

__Liam picks his glass up, but watching Harry’s throat work as she downs her own shot expertly is enough to distract him from actually swallowing his own. Louis seems to be in the same situation, though, his eyes glued to the way her muscles move as she swallows and—maybe Louis’s seen that in other contexts, seen Harry’s mouth work like that in all the ways that Liam’s brain is coming up with against his better judgement._ _

__“Shall we, then?” Louis says, clinking his glass against Liam’s, and they down their shots almost simultaneously._ _

__He tries not to choke on it, and the tequila’s good so it goes down fairly smooth, but he’s still unused to the burn and has to force down the urge to cough. Louis pats him on the back, almost hard enough to hurt, and asks him if he’s all right._ _

__Liam nods, not sure he can speak quite yet. Louis’s hand on his back slows until he’s just rubbing at the stiffness of his shoulders, and he can’t help the way he relaxes into it. It’s been so long since anyone touched him at all, really, much less with this much affection—and from someone he just met tonight. Harry’s watching them, her eyes sharper than Liam expected from someone who just did a shot—and for all she’s had to drink tonight, she’s skinny as a rail._ _

__She’s _interested_. _ _

__Liam can feel himself go taut under Louis’s hand and, naturally, Louis feels it as well._ _

__“Relax,” Louis says, only his mouth is right up in Liam’s ear now, and Liam’s got no idea when he moved that close. It’s heady, everything’s a bit hazier than he’s used to, and he doesn’t think it’s just the tequila because he’s done shots before, albeit rarely, and they don’t usually throw him off-kilter like this. He leans back before his brain processes that he’s moving at all. Louis is right there behind him, solid and warm and Liam just wants to curl into him and never move again._ _

__“Usually it’s not the girl left all by herself at the bar,” Harry says, pouting a bit as she reaches for the bottle on the bar. “Should’ve asked for salt and limes,” she continues, directed at Louis over Liam’s shoulder. “Then we could do body shots.”_ _

__Liam swallows his tongue._ _

__“Not,” he begins, and then nearly chokes again. “Not at the pub,” he finally forces out. “I have to come back here tomorrow and _work_ , I can’t be thinking about licking a fit girl’s stomach while I’m pouring drinks.”_ _

__“You can’t say something like that and not follow through,” Harry says. Her voice is lower now than it was earlier, and it rolls over Liam like a wave, leaving him extremely interested in how he could make it change more._ _

__“There’s salt and limes at mine,” he says. Or maybe the tequila says; it’s hard to tell at this point._ _

__“What about tequila?” Louis asks somewhat pointedly._ _

__“Oh, er, we can take this bottle. I’ll pay for it tomorrow.”_ _

__And then Louis and Harry are nearly scrambling for the door while Liam closes the bottle, grabbing the shotglasses as an afterthought—he doesn’t drink nearly often enough to justify owning any. It’s not until he’s locking the door behind them that he realizes he’s not even kissed either of them._ _

__It’s not until after he realizes that that he realizes he’s about to take two strangers to his flat so they can do body shots _and then have sex_._ _

__He must go tense again, freeze up somehow, because Harry and Louis step in close, one on either side of him. Their bodies are warm against the chilly autumn night, and the contrast makes Liam shiver. “Are you okay with this?” Harry asks, breath moist and fluttery against his cheek._ _

__And he is, he really is. It’s all a bit much, standing here outside the pub with both of them pressed up against him and processing that he’s about to have a one-night stand—which he never does—with two people—which he can honestly say he’s never even dreamt would happen to him. But Harry is running her hand softly across his shoulder and it’s more comforting than it ought to be, and Louis has hooked his chin over Liam’s shoulder, pressing his nose into the crook under Liam’s chin._ _

__“Yeah,” Liam says, and now his voice has gone low as well. “I’m okay with this.”_ _

__He turns toward Harry, just slightly, because he wants to look at her eyes again, and then they’re kissing._ _

__She’s not hesitant, though she is a bit cautious at first; it’s an unexpectedly touching reaction to Liam’s obvious nervousness. When he opens his mouth slightly against hers, though, she presses her advantage and slips her tongue in, kissing him thoroughly. Liam can’t quite catch his breath—he loves being kissed like this, strong and passionate and teetering on the edge of overwhelming. There’s a thumb stroking up and down the back of his neck, and it takes him a long time to realize it’s not Harry’s hand at all, that both of hers are looped in his belt and dragging him closer into the kiss._ _

__The hand on his neck is Louis’s, stroking calmly while Harry and Liam are kissing and—aren’t they a couple? Is it okay that Liam’s kissing Harry? Just because they both evidently want to have sex with him doesn’t mean that there aren’t _ground rules_ or something. _ _

__He pulls back from the kiss, flushed and breathing hard._ _

__“Is this okay?” Liam asks, realizing as soon as the words have left his mouth that it’s too vague to mean anything. “I mean—it is okay for me to kiss you, Harry? Aren’t you two together?”_ _

__Harry shrugs. Liam can feel Louis tilt his head, chin still resting on his shoulder. “Are we?” Louis asks. “I can’t remember at the moment.”_ _

__When Harry frowns slightly and scrunches her nose up, it might be the cutest thing Liam’s ever seen. “Sometimes we are? It doesn’t make much sense but it works, so…”_ _

__Before Liam has time to question how that’s even possible, for them to not know whether they’re together, Louis has shifted so he can put a hand on Liam’s chin and turn his face slightly to kiss him. It’s like kissing Harry and it isn’t, because their mouths both taste of tequila and beer, but also different—Louis’s doesn’t have the faint taste of worn-off lipstick, and his skin smells different where Liam’s nose is pressed into it, muskier and less like fruity soap. It’s kind of the same as well, a little cautious but nothing like hesitant, movements confident, and making Liam want to sink into them, kiss Louis forever._ _

__Harry’s hands are still on his belt, but how her fingers have crept up to slide under his t-shirt and ghost across the skin of his side, his back, his stomach. Liam has no idea if he’s shivering from the cold air that accompanies them, or just the touch of her fingers._ _

__It’s not until Louis pulls away that Liam can force himself to speak. “My flat’s not far,” he says, and god, this is nothing he ever expected to do but it’s just so easy to stand between Harry and Louis and let them kiss him and touch him and he really, desperately doesn’t want to stop._ _

__“Good,” Harry says, grinning. “Let’s go.”_ _

__“Lead the way,” Louis says._ _

__It really is just a short walk, maybe five minutes door to door, and Liam can’t deny that he hurries a bit, because there are all kinds of things he can’t stop thinking how much he’d like to do. He’d like to push Louis against the door to his flat and kiss the knowing smirk off his face, or hoist Harry up so her legs are around his waist and bury his fingers in her messy curls to kiss her until she’s whimpering against him, or let them both push him back into his bed and kiss every piece of his body. Or a thousand other things._ _

__Even short as it is, the walk is tense. None of them are touching, but Liam can feel Louis’s eyes on his arse, and he wishes he could reach out and wrap an arm around Harry’s waist, because he already misses the feeling of her warm, soft form against his._ _

__It takes him three tries to unlock his flat; he keeps fumbling the key because Louis has leant in close so his breath is warm under Liam’s ear, and is pressing tiny kisses to the skin there._ _

__Admittedly, this is not something Liam does often, let himself get kissed senseless by strangers and then bring them back to his flat, but he wasn’t expecting tenderness like that. Louis’s touch is more affectionate than sexual, his lips moving gently across Liam’s neck; he has no idea where the affection is coming from—they’ve known each other hours, but Louis is touching him like he matters already. Harry is still watching, but her eyes have gone unreadable, clouded over with some emotion Liam hasn’t known her nearly long enough to understand. She titters a bit as Liam struggles with the door, finally reaching over and steadying his hands with her own._ _

__As soon as they’re into the flat, though, Harry is kissing him again, lips warm and pliant against his. When she pulls away—Liam tries to follow her mouth but she nips at his lower lip like she’s making a point—she presses a quick kiss to Louis’s mouth over Liam’s shoulder and then lets her eyes trail slowly down Liam’s body._ _

__“About those body shots,” she says, her voice loose and suggestive. Liam tries not to faint._ _

__He’s torn, really. The living room is probably the best place for shots, with a table that’s easy to clean but—the bed is the best place for sex. And Liam can’t really imagine any outcome for them licking each other that doesn’t end up with nudity and orgasms. He certainly doesn’t want to, because now they’re not at the bar he’s got a much better look at Louis’s arse and Harry’s hips that sway slightly as she walks, and the familiar way they move together, draped over each other comfortably._ _

__“There’s limes in the kitchen,” Liam says, and they trail behind him as he moves, their touches charged now in a way they weren’t when they walked into the pub. This is Harry and Louis when they’re going to sleep together, he realizes vaguely, and the people who walked into the pub hours ago were Harry and Louis as mates who sometimes have sex. The difference is startling—and it makes Liam want to skip the body shots altogether, just guide them to his bedroom and study the way they kiss._ _

__Because they are kissing, open-mouthed and slow and like they have all the time in the world._ _

__Liam slices a lime quickly, and just as he’s finishing, Harry drapes herself across his back, arms loose around his hips and nose pressed into the back of his neck. “Excited?” she says._ _

__Liam nods. “I’m not going to do many shots. My tolerance isn’t very good, and I don’t want to be too drunk.”_ _

__Harry kisses the back of his quickly. “As long as there’s one for each of us,” she says._ _

__“Okay,” Liam concedes. It’s not a difficult thing to agree to—having to lick both of them certainly won’t be a hardship at all, he’s already far too interested in the plane of Harry’s stomach under her gauzy top, and the curve of Louis’s biceps are becoming more and more intriguing. He wonders vaguely if it would be weird to put the salt on Louis’s arm, if that would reveal that he’s been looking too hard._ _

__Louis has set the tequila and shot glasses Liam handed him while he fumbled the keys down on the table and is filling them carefully. This is probably a terrible idea, Liam knows, because one shot is plenty, especially given how little he ate during his shift._ _

__“This is probably a terrible idea,” he says, and Harry’s soft laugh rumbles against his back._ _

__“Probably,” she says. “But all the best ideas are.”_ _

__“That doesn’t even make sense,” Liam says, but he’s laughing regardless._ _

__Louis rolls his eyes and walks over to them. He hands Liam a full shot glass and tells him to hold it. Harry catches Louis’s eye briefly, then gets to work pulling Liam’s shirt off—easier said than done, given he’s holding a shot now—and Louis starts looking around with purpose. Right, they still need salt._ _

__“Next to the microwave,” Liam says, and Louis nods his thanks._ _

__And then Liam’s shirt is on the floor, and Louis is licking a stripe across the place where his shoulder meets his neck. Liam tries not to shudder, but Harry is using the reprieve to unbutton her own top, and the combination is entirely too much. Louis hasn’t pulled his mouth off yet, like he’s sucking a lovebite into Liam’s skin instead of just wetting it so the salt’ll stick._ _

__When he finally does pull away, Liam misses the heat of his tongue and the pressure of his lips. Louis touches his arm lightly, the one still holding the shot, and Liam lets him arrange it so he can get to the shot quickly._ _

__He can’t see Louis, so he focuses his eyes on Harry’s long fingers, the curve of her waist, the swell of her breasts. Her bra is brilliantly pink, her skin is smooth and creamy under it, and Liam wants to run his fingers (and his tongue) along the edge of the lace, feel the contrast between its roughness and her soft skin._ _

__Louis’s mouth on his neck is a surprise, though it shouldn’t be. He doesn’t linger this time, just licks up the salt and grabs the shot out of Liam’s fingers; Liam can hear him swallow it down fast, but can’t tear his eyes away from Harry._ _

__“You next,” Harry says, smiling coyly._ _

__What he wants to do is lick the valley between Harry’s breasts, but he’s not quite drunk enough for that, not yet anyway. Maybe for the second shot. Pulling himself away from Louis, Liam looks him up and down, considering._ _

__“Take your trousers off,” he says and—well, apparently he’s drunk enough to say that. The skin on his neck is cool against the air. Louis leans forward to blow on it softly, and Liam shudders._ _

__Louis does take his trousers off, though, pulling them down slowly and grinning when he sees Liam’s eyes following the motion. “Where do you want me?” Louis asks, and he’s leering now._ _

__“Can you sit on the work surface? That’d be good,” Liam says, swallowing hard. Harry hands him a shot glass and he sets in on the counter next to Louis’s bare thigh. The expanse of skin in front of him is dizzying, which doesn’t bode well at all for him being able to see straight with more tequila running through his veins._ _

__Louis’s leg is tense under his tongue when it swipes across the skin just below the edge of Louis’s pants. Liam forces himself to not linger, just downing the salt, tequila, and lime as quickly as he can. He can’t quite remove the taste of Louis’s skin from his mouth even with the burn of alcohol, and it’s hard to keep from leaning back down to explore the crease between Louis’s thigh and his hip more closely._ _

__As soon as Liam’s sucked his lime dry, Harry leans down and licks across the exact same spot on Louis’s leg that Liam used for his shot. Liam thinks, outrageously, that he might faint, what with the alcohol coursing through him and all the blood in his body heading straight for his dick at the sight of Harry in a skirt and bra, her mouth covering the damp spot on Louis’s skin where Liam’s was moments ago._ _

__“Why are you still wearing a shirt?” Louis asks as Harry sprinkles salt across his leg. His voice cracks a little when she bends back down to lick it up, and out of nowhere Liam finds himself wondering how many times they’ve done this before. Are there parts of Louis that Harry’s never had her mouth on, that Liam could be the first person to kiss. And what about Harry, are there bits of her that Louis doesn’t know yet? His hand brushes across her arm with familiarity that’s nearly tangible, and Liam feels like he’s witnessing something improbably intimate, something he was never meant to see._ _

__“C’mon, get your kit off,” Louis urges when Liam neglects to answer because he’s too distracted by the line of Harry’s throat as she sucks at the lime, trying to avoid imagining her lips stretched around his dick instead._ _

__Dropping the lime rind on the counter, Harry says, “You’re still wearing your shirt, you twat.”_ _

__Louis shrugs. “But Liam’s still got all his clothes on, and I want to see his dick.”_ _

__“I’ve never done a shot off someone’s dick,” Harry says, frowning slightly. Liam can barely keep up with one of them, let alone the way they seem to egg each other on with their eyes, getting more and more outrageous._ _

__Louis hums. “Not sure I want someone pouring salt on my bits, love,” he says. Liam snorts a little, because he’s not sure he wants that either, but it might be worth the risk to see Harry licking up his cock._ _

__“Good job I’m doing my next one off Liam then, isn’t it?” Harry’s smile is the cheekiest Liam’s seen on her all night, and he has to remind himself again that he probably isn’t making this up. No way is his subconscious this creative._ _

__“Yeah, yeah,” Louis says, beckoning Harry closer. He eyes her appraisingly, and Liam understands. There are a lot of areas his mouth would like to get better acquainted with on her body, it’s easy to see how Louis is a bit spoiled for choice._ _

__“Trying to find a new place?” Harry asks._ _

__“Always, babe,” Louis answers. Liam tries not to choke on his tongue. The idea of Louis trying to find a new spot on Harry to lick every time they do body shots is going to be haunting him in the shower for the rest of his _life_. “Have I ever done your belly button?”_ _

__“Mmhmm,” Harry says. “That was a good one, it was the time we—”_ _

__“Oh right, yes,” Louis says, and Liam feels like he’s been hit over the head with a beam or a brick or something, because he’s actually a bit jealous of them that they’ve got to see each other like this before. “What about your wrist, then?” Louis continues._ _

__“S’a bit tame, but no, that’s new.”_ _

__Louis grins. “I’ll make it worth your while._ _

__Harry shivers visibly when Louis runs his tongue across the inside of her wrist, and Liam thinks Louis had this one right, but it’s on his second pass to get the salt when he scrapes his teeth across the sensitive skin there and Harry’s whole body shudders that he really understands. As soon as he’s thrown back his shot and sucked the lime into his mouth, Harry’s dragging his mouth up to hers and kissing him firmly._ _

__The kiss is messy—Liam can see their tongues tangling together, can hear the way Louis groans low when Harry pulls him in even closer—but they clearly love kissing each other. Louis has one hand buried in Harry’s wild curls, tangling them as he moves her head for a better angle, and Harry’s looped an arm around Louis’s shoulders to hold him close._ _

__“It’s Liam’s turn to do a shot, love,” Louis says, dragging Harry’s lower lip between his teeth as he pulls away. She follows his mouth, managing a quick peck before he pushes her away slightly. “I think he wants to know what you taste like.”_ _

__It’s evidently an offer Harry can’t refuse, because she turns toward Liam and says, “Do you, then?”_ _

__Liam gulps. “Yes,” he says. Louis’s phrasing—probably intentionally—has set his mind reeling with thoughts of kneeling between Harry’s legs, nosing up into her folds and really finding out what she tastes of. For now, though, he can content himself with the skin between her breasts, flushed and moving when she breathes heavily._ _

__His limbs have all gone warm and fuzzy with the tequila, and he probably ought to be more cautious about what he’s about to do, but it’s just so easy to duck his head and drag his tongue between Harry’s tits, all the way up to her collarbone because he can’t quite bring himself to pull his mouth off. “That’s going to be a lot of salt,” Louis says. Liam ignores him, choosing to nip quickly at Harry’s throat before reaching for the salt._ _

__The second time he gets his mouth on her is just as heady as the first, and all Liam can hear is blood rushing in his ears, and all he can feel is the drag of his tongue across Harry’s skin and the way her heart is pounding underneath. She smells of washing powder, and musk, and a bit like Louis as well. Liam finishes off his shot, reaching for the lime before he forgets all about it and just kisses Harry with the taste of salt lingering on his tongue._ _

__Liam remembers thinking things between them felt charged earlier, but now with Harry eying him, and Louis resting his hand dangerously low on his stomach as he watches them, he realizes he had no idea what he was thinking. Louis looks like he’s one heated moment away from reaching into his briefs to start stroking himself, eyes heavy lidded and dark. Harry’s face is mischievous but openly aroused, which is a combination Liam isn’t entirely sure how to handle._ _

__“Can we take this to a bed?” she asks, brow slightly wrinkled. “I know what I want to do, but it’ll work better with Liam lying down.”_ _

__He ought to be worried—what if she actually does pour salt on his dick?—but he can’t quite summon any emotions beyond curiosity and mindless arousal. He wants Harry to lick him, and he wants to eat her out, and he wants to find out what Louis does if someone bites his hipbones, and he wants to watch Harry’s fingers in Louis’s arse and—_ _

__“Absolutely,” Liam hears himself say; he doesn’t remember deciding to voice the sentiment, but he’s glad he did, because moments later, Harry is pressing him down into his bed and peeling his trousers off. She pushes his boxers down as well, just enough to reveal the jut of his hipbone, and before Louis is even settled on the bed next to Liam’s head, she’s licking across it, sucking softly at the skin and generally taking a lot more time than she really needs to._ _

__Louis leans down to sprinkle some salt he evidently cupped in his hand on the wet part of Liam’s skin, and then Harry giggles, so he must have done something silly, but Liam can’t tear his eyes away from Harry’s kissed-red lips against his skin, so he doesn’t know what._ _

__As soon as Harry’s licked up the salt and swallowed her shot, she lunges up and—kisses Louis? It doesn’t quite make sense, until Liam realizes that Louis was probably holding the lime in his teeth. Regardless, they’re kissing now, loud and enthusiastically. If Liam could move to watch them, he would, but Harry’s got his legs pinned where she’s sitting on them._ _

__A low whine escapes him before he can stop it, because he’d quite like to be getting kissed._ _

__“I think Liam’s a bit lonely,” Louis says. Out of the corner of his eye, Liam sees the shotglass and the lime rind get thrown to the floor, and then Louis’s mouth is sealed across his. He tastes of alcohol and Harry, and Liam lets Louis pull him in close, tongues tangling and exploring until he thinks he might be going dizzy from lack of air. There’s too many things going on for him to remember how to breathe, Louis’s mouth and hands and Harry’s fingertips exploring his chest between them._ _

__Dragging his mouth away from Louis’s reluctantly, Liam turns to press a quick kiss to the corner of Harry’s lips._ _

__“I’d like to eat you out,” he says, and immediately feels himself go red._ _

__“Oh,” Harry says softly, ignoring the blush completely, and then, even lower: “Please.”_ _

__There’s a reshuffling where Harry lets him up and Louis arranges himself against the headboard, pulling Harry to sit between his legs. Liam tries not to think about how he’ll be lying between both of their thighs this way, because it’s too much and makes him want to just rub against the covers until he comes just thinking about it._ _

__Harry’s still got her skirt on, and Liam moves to take it off, cocking his head to ask for permission. She nods enthusiastically, and he slides a hand around to feel for the zip at the back._ _

__When he pulls her skirt down, the first thing he notices is that she’s not wearing any knickers._ _

__Well, that’s a lie. The first thing he notices is the bare skin of her arse his fingers brush against, and then the patch of curls in front, and somehow he manages to process those things enough to turn it into the coherent thought _Harry’s not wearing any knickers_. _ _

__Suddenly Liam’s thinking about her at the pub, half in Louis’s lap, and her pressed against him when they kissed the first time, and every time they’ve touched so far tonight, and reframing them because he could have just reached under her skirt and met the skin of her arse._ _

__Taking a deep breath, he slips Harry’s skirt all the way down her legs and tosses it onto the floor. He’d worry about her wanting her clothes to look nice in the morning, but she looks supremely unconcerned, her eyes fixed on him and her whole body slightly flushed. She’s breathing heavily, squirming against Louis and grinning when he makes a slightly pained noise. Liam doesn’t want to imagine what it must be like to have Harry’s arse pressed against his dick, mostly because he’ll completely embarrass himself if he does._ _

__Besides, that’s not what he wants to be doing right now._ _

__It’s been playing out in his head ever since Louis said Liam wanted to taste Harry, the idea of burying himself between her legs and really tasting her properly, and now he gets to do it. Liam kisses Harry’s lips, lingering and soft, and then pulls away to trail kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. He brushes them across the lacy edge of her bra, sucks a lovebite into the flat of her stomach above her belly button and then soothes it with his tongue._ _

__Harry’s skin is so creamy smooth, and Liam’s never felt the urge to cover someone in marks like this, but he’s unexpectedly desperate to make sure that she’ll remember this afterward, that she’ll look at her body and think of him, that Louis will do the same if they sleep together again soon. He gives in to the temptation and sucks hard just above her hipbone, pleasantly surprised when she writhes into it, whimpering softly. Liam pulls away just enough to admire his handiwork, then goes about creating a matching one above her other hip. He admires that one, as well, then returns to kissing down her body until his nose is pressed into the crease of her thigh._ _

__“Liam,” Harry says, low and pleading. Louis hasn’t said anything, but when Liam glances up, he sees that Louis has pushed Harry’s bra out of the way and is toying with one of her nipples. Harry’s not focused on it at all, her eyes fixed on Liam and her hands moving restlessly against the duvet. “Please,” she says._ _

__Liam fancies himself enough of a gentleman to not ignore a girl who’s begging, especially one who’s also naked and in his bed. So he moves his head enough to lick a soft stripe up her cunt, stopping just short of her clit. Harry groans, throaty and unrestrained. Liam does it again, just to see if he can get the same reaction, which he does._ _

__It’s completely overwhelming—it would be too much even if every tiny touch and flick of his tongue didn’t make Harry squirm and moan and press herself harder against his tongue, but like this, _Christ_. Liam can feel himself rubbing off against the bed, slowly and mindlessly, but he’s focused on figuring out how far he can get his tongue into Harry, and learning the different noises she makes. There’s one when he pushes his tongue in as hard as he can, and another when he slides a finger in gently and crooks it until she’s moving helplessly into it, and yet another when he sucks on her clit and flicks his tongue across it. _ _

__That last one is probably his favorite, which is why he ends up drawing shapes across it with his tongue while he slips a second finger into Harry, curling them both until she presses back down and keens softly._ _

__Liam never wants to stop, even when her thighs clench almost too tight around his head like her whole body’s gone tense. When Harry comes, she’s nearly silent—surprising, given how vocal she was before—but her whole body’s rocking up into his mouth and down onto his fingers, and he can’t not edge his mouth down to lick around his fingers until she’s come down all the way and is threading her fingers in his hair and pulling him off._ _

__He lets himself get drawn up her body, a little shocked when she doesn’t drag him into a kiss; instead, Louis is the one kissing him, tongue greedy. He’s tasting Harry in Liam’s mouth, Liam realizes after a moment, and it only makes Liam want to kiss him harder. In a fit of alcohol-induced inspiration, he removes his sticky fingers from where he let them rest on Harry’s hip and breaks their kiss to slip them into Louis’s mouth._ _

__Louis groans with his whole body, shifting visibly against Harry and sucking hard on Liam’s fingers._ _

__“Jesus,” Liam says, his voice unexpectedly hoarse._ _

__Louis’s eyes have fluttered shut as he works his tongue around Liam’s fingers, and Liam’s finding it extremely difficult to focus on anything else. The swirl of Louis’s tongue, the light scrape of his teeth, the low slurping noises as he swallows around Liam’s fingers, the contented hum from Harry when Louis reaches to toy with her breasts again. There are so many things happening and Liam can’t begin to keep up with them all._ _

__“D’you have any condoms?” Harry asks, her voice gone even slower than before._ _

__“Yeah,” Liam chokes out. “In the bathroom, under the sink.”_ _

__Louis lets Liam’s fingers slide out of his mouth. “You keep your condoms in the bathroom? You’re not getting laid enough, mate.” Liam just shrugs._ _

__“I’ll go and get them,” Harry volunteers. “You get to work making sure Liam has more sex.”_ _

__She climbs off the bed—Liam tries not to let himself notice that her legs seem a little shaky— and heads for the bathroom._ _

__“About that sex,” Louis says, and he looks so debauched already that Liam nearly chokes. Louis’s still got his briefs on, but they’re tiny and obscenely tight, and do absolutely nothing to hide his erection. His hair’s mussed from kissing, and his shirt is half unbuttoned. Liam can’t decide whether he wants to finish getting him naked or leave him like that forever, disheveled and turned-on and giving Liam a look that’s so openly dirty he wants to melt into the duvet. “I was thinking,” Louis continues, “that I could suck you.”_ _

__Liam hopes that Louis isn’t expecting him to form words in response, because there’s no possible way he can do that. Instead, he just nods jerkily, and waits for Louis to give further instruction, to say how he wants this._ _

__Moments later, Louis slips off the edge of the bed onto his knees, and beckons Liam over toward him. “You look so tall from down here,” he says, and it’s kind of unnecessary—Liam knows he’s taller than Louis, noticed it when they were kissing—but it makes his heart pound a bit nonetheless._ _

__And then his mouth is around Liam’s cock and Liam’s not thinking about much of anything else._ _

__Louis wraps a hand loosely around the base and somehow swirls his tongue around the tip; Liam forces his hips to stay on the bed—he doesn’t want to choke Louis. Clenching his fists in the duvet, Liam looks at the top of Louis’s head between his legs, watches him move up and down and tries to distract himself from the delicious, overwhelming suction._ _

__His eyes are drawn to Harry when she steps back into the room, holding what looks like a few condoms and a bottle of lube—she must have gone rooting around a bit. Louis pulls off slowly, leaving his hand where it is, his mouth trailing spit and precome that Liam resists the urge to wipe off his chin._ _

__“Don’t stop on my account,” Harry says, setting the stuff down on the bedside table and crawling up to sit next to Liam. “I’m enjoying the show a lot.”_ _

__Louis moves to take Liam back into his mouth and, impossibly, somehow having Harry draped around his shoulders, her hands trailing across his chest and back, somehow that makes the sensations even more overwhelming. Louis’s mouth is hot, and he’s sucking so hard, and taking Liam farther in with every bob of his head. It’s going to be no time at all until Liam comes, and Harry’s evidently determined to speed the process up._ _

__He can tell, because one of her hands is inching toward his arse, slipping between the cheeks and rubbing lightly across his hole._ _

__“Shit, Harry,” he says, and she nips at his earlobe._ _

__“So you do swear,” she whispers into his ear._ _

__Liam finds himself laughing a bit, Harry giggling with him. And then Louis joins in, and it vibrates around Liam’s cock, and Harry’s finger is still teasing at his arse—it’s all entirely too much, and he’s thrusting up into Louis’s mouth and coming without even a warning. Louis swallows around him, once, twice, and then pulls up and wipes his mouth._ _

__“You could warn a bloke,” he says. Liam ought to apologize, but all he can muster the effort to do is shrug vaguely. Louis kisses him in retaliation, still messy and tasting of Liam._ _

__Liam ought to shove him off, maybe, but he doesn’t mind the taste so much, and he enjoys kissing Louis more than enough to make up for it. He’s enjoying everything about this too much, really—it feels familiar, even though there’s no reason it should. Louis’s never sucked him off before, but the sloppy, come-flavored kiss after doesn’t feel anything like any awkward one-off, and nor does the way Harry’s draped around him and trailing her hands across his stomach without any clear destination._ _

__Eventually, she starts pouting—Liam can feel her face shift where it’s pressed to his neck—and then says, “It’s getting a bit lonely over here.” Liam smiles, turning away from Louis’s mouth to kiss the top of her head, and it doesn’t occur to him until after he’s done it how affectionate the gesture is, not even charged with sexual tension. Just—tender._ _

__He can feel Louis laughing quietly where their chests are pressed together. “Greedy, aren’t you?” Louis says, reaching up to ruffled Harry’s hair, even though it’s already so mussed Liam can’t say it makes any difference._ _

__“You love it,” Harry retorts, her face still half-buried in Liam’s neck. Liam moves a hand so it’s stroking gently across the back of her neck, tangling slightly in her curls._ _

__“Debatable,” Louis says, but he leans over to kiss her as soon as he’s said it._ _

__This kiss isn’t like the ones they were sharing earlier, Liam can tell. He’s too close now to watch them properly—which is something else he’s just going to have to find a way to process—but they’re kissing slow and familiar and without any hurry. They’re kissing like people who’ve spent a lot of time kissing each other and know exactly what the other likes, and for reasons he’s honestly a little scared to investigate, it makes jealousy curl in his stomach._ _

__“I suppose I could be persuaded to fuck you,” Louis says, pressing a quick kiss to Harry’s nose after he speaks. “If you make it worth my while.”_ _

__Harry laughs—and the amount of laughing they’ve all done tonight makes Liam’s heart hurt a little bit; he wants to laugh this much during all the sex he has for the rest of his life—and Louis moves to grab her around the waist and throw her back onto the bed next to Liam. They’re all giggling now, at Louis’s ridiculous caveman action, and the way Harry huffs out a breath when her back hits the bed, and the spread of her hair across the pillow._ _

__Liam can’t help himself noticing that for all Louis’s been playing around—and sucking him off—he’s incredibly hard, cock red and glistening slightly as he crawls over Harry. His own cock twitches feebly and it’s been a while since he got off twice in the same night but, well, that might happen. (Honestly, it’s been a while since he got off with anyone else at all, but that’s another thing entirely.) Louis is occupying himself kissing across Harry’s stomach, and then he’s sucking a lovebite that half overlaps with one Liam left on her hip earlier._ _

__Liam grabs a condom off the bedside table and presses it into Louis’s hand before he can go searching for one, and Louis says something unintelligible that might be “thank you” into the soft skin under Harry’s breasts._ _

__Feeling slightly useless but also too spent to really help out, Liam just reaches underneath Harry to unclasp her bra, slipping the straps down her arms. Louis immediately takes advantage, sucking one of her nipples into his mouth. Liam can’t tell exactly what he’s doing, but he can see that it’s making Harry arch off the bed slightly, mouth dropping open and hips rolling in midair._ _

__“You promised me fucking,” she whines. “Less foreplay, get your cock in me.”_ _

__It’s like something from a low-grade porn film, and Harry clearly knows it because she’s giggling before the sentence is even finished. Somehow, acknowledging the absurdity of it flips it back into being hot again, because Liam’s thinking about how it’ll look when Louis does thrust into her and about how much fun they’re having._ _

__“God, you’re impatient,” Louis says. “Just because you can get off as many times as you want—”_ _

__Harry cuts him off. “Have we ever tested that? How many times you can get me off before I’m too tired to come again. Could be fun.”_ _

__“ _Fuck_ ,” Louis hisses. Liam’s dick gives another twitch, somewhat less pathetic this time. The picture of Harry, spread and fucked out and desperate to come just once more, god, Liam might give up a limb to see that, maybe more to be the one who made it happen. _ _

__Louis is tearing the condom open and rolling it on and really, Liam ought to help him out because he’s not as in-control as he looks—his hand is shaking slightly—but by the time he’s mustered the energy to move, Louis has got it all the way on._ _

__Watching Louis sink into Harry slowly might be the most overwhelming thing Liam’s ever seen, the way his whole body is tense and he’s moving so achingly carefully. Harry says “Finally” as he bottoms out, but her voice cracks and it undermines whatever attempt she was making to tease Louis. They stay there, poised and tense and shaking slightly, for a few moments while Liam watches and tries not to make any embarrassing noises just from seeing the way Harry’s eyes are fluttering shut and her stomach is shaking._ _

__When Louis starts to move, pulling all the way out and then thrusting back in slowly, it makes the bed rock. Harry’s making low noises in her throat that Liam can just barely hear until Louis leans forward to kiss her and swallows them down._ _

__Liam never wants to stop watching them, the muscles working Louis’s arse as he moves, Harry’s legs wrapped around his waist, the way they move seamlessly together. Louis laces his fingers through Harry’s, so intimate that Liam suddenly wants to look _away_ because they know each other so well and he’s here but maybe it’s not like that, maybe he’s just someone they’ve brought it for a night, a temporary addition to whatever it is between them. _ _

__The thought makes his heart ache._ _

__“C’mere, Liam,” Harry says, jolting Liam out of his thoughts. She reaches for his hand with her free one, lacing their fingers together in the exact same way Louis did with her just a moment ago._ _

__And then she pulls hard, and Liam nearly goes tumbling on to of both of them._ _

__“I miss kissing you,” Harry says into his ear, and then turns her head just enough to press their lips together. The angle is strange, and Louis is so close Liam can feel his sharp exhales and gasps, but Harry’s mouth is loose against his and he licks across her teeth and lets his tongue explore._ _

__Now he’s the one swallowing down her quiet noises, grunts and moans and soft whimpers when Louis changes his angle or his pace. He likes it, too, trying to gauge what Louis is doing as he fucks her by the way it changes the motion of Harry’s mouth against his. But at the same time, he wants to be helping, wants to be part of the reason Harry is like this, desperate and noisy._ _

__“Anything I can do to help?” Liam hears himself whisper into Harry’s ear, and he’s got no idea whether it’s the lingering alcohol or courage from some other source that lets him do it, but when Harry guides their joined hands down to rest against her cunt, it’s worth it._ _

__Liam slips his fingers free of Harry’s and lets them ghost across her clit, enjoying the way she jerks slightly under Louis. Moving his hand a bit lower, he can feel where Louis is thrusting into Harry, lets his fingers brush across Louis’s dick as he pulls out._ _

__“Christ, Liam,” Louis says through gritted teeth. It’s obvious now he’s working at not coming, probably waiting until Harry’s got off again, and Liam can definitely make that easier for him. He works at Harry’s clit gently, teasing her a bit, until her noises have turned into a broken mantra of their names, first his then Louis’s then his again._ _

__When she comes, she goes tense and arches off the bed, biting down on her lip until Liam’s afraid she’ll draw blood. She shakes for a moment as she lies on the bed, her whole face slack as Louis keeps fucking into her, though it doesn’t take him much longer to come, stiff and groaning so loud Liam’s neighbors probably heard._ _

__They kiss messily, Louis draped weakly over Harry, and Liam tries not to think about how his hand is still trapped between them, or about how watching them got him so hard he wants to die—again. Harry and Louis are both flopped kind of uselessly, so he reaches down to take care of himself, but Harry catches his wrist._ _

__“I can go again,” she says. Liam feels his eyes go wide; he wasn’t expecting that, she just got properly fucked and—offering to go again? She must catch his incredulity in his eyes, because she volunteers more information. “I like it.”_ _

__Liam presses his hand against the base of his dick and focuses on the hole in the wall he’s been meaning to fix for a few weeks now—there used to be a photo of his sisters hung there but it fell down—because it’s a distraction from the things that Harry’s saying, and the way Louis is nodding knowingly and adding, “She _really_ likes it.”_ _

__Harry’s shamelessness is kind of wonderful, the way she just says things and then acts on them; Liam has always sort of wished he could do that, worry a little less about what other people want and just ask for what makes him happy._ _

__“Budge up, then,” Harry is saying as she shoves Louis off her. He lets her move him, rolling onto his side and smiling loosely up at Liam. Louis is all floppy limbs and lazy laughter as he watches Harry move toward Liam, and it just—Liam doesn’t understand why watching Louis like that makes him feel like someone’s sucked all the air out of the room._ _

__When Harry straddles his hips and smiles down at him, she’s so pretty that Liam’s stomach turns over. Her hair is limp now, stuck to her neck and the sides of her face with sweat, and Liam reaches up to fluff it a bit. She pushes into the touch, like a kitten wanting to be stroked, so Liam runs his nails across her scalp lightly; Harry whimpers quietly. Liam keeps going, scratching softly at her scalp until she leans down and kisses him so gently he thinks he’s imagined it for a moment—until she breathes against his mouth, just barely forming the words “I like you a lot.”_ _

__It should feel sexually charged, it should be a come-on— _I like you a lot and I want you to be fucking me now_ —but it doesn’t. It feels like something else entirely, something closer to _I like you a lot and would like to wake up next to you every morning_. Liam forgets how to breathe for a moment, his hand going still on the back of her neck. _ _

__Harry kisses him again, slow and thorough and full of things Liam doesn’t understand—can’t let himself understand—and doesn’t let up until he’s kissing back the same way and they’re rocking slowly against each other. Through the haze of confusion and arousal, he realizes this is probably how they’re going to fuck, gentle and meaningful; he has no idea how he’s supposed to be acting right now, has no idea what to do with the fact that he _wants_ it like this. He wants to watch Harry’s face as he sinks into her, as she comes, feel Louis watching both of them—touching both of them—and then tomorrow night he wants to fuck Louis the same way. _ _

__“Oh,” he says, and Harry nods, whispering “yeah” back to him. Liam has no idea if she’s understood his thoughts, if she’s replying to something else entirely, if this is all just something he’s imagining or if she and Louis might be feeling it as well._ _

__“I want you,” she begins, breath hitching. “I want you in me.”_ _

__“Right,” Liam breathes, afraid that anything louder will break the moment, shatter whatever it is that’s building in his chest._ _

__Harry opens the condom and rolls it onto him slowly, which is probably for the best because Liam’s fairly certain he couldn’t have managed himself. She does the work of settling down onto him as well, lowering herself slowly until their hips are resting against each other, Liam gripping her hips tight. She’s so deliciously hot around him, better than he’d imagined, and she’s making these minute movements with her hips, like she can’t quite rock into it but wants to._ _

__“Can I—” he starts to ask, aborted by his own inability to catch his breath._ _

__“Yeah,” Harry says, high and breathy. “Yeah, move.”_ _

__Liam can’t bring himself to thrust properly, not after she’s already come twice tonight, so he just rocks his hips gently. It doesn’t matter, because Harry bites out a shrill gasps nonetheless._ _

__“Fuck, Liam, fuck,” she says, and he thinks he understands—it’s too much but also too good for her to want it to stop. He kind of feels the same way._ _

__Harry’s rocking back down against him now. They’re barely moving, really, but they’re barely moving perfectly together, and somehow that’s making all the difference. Liam can feel his orgasm building low in his stomach, but it’s so achingly slow. He has plenty of focus to spare for the way Harry’s eyes are fluttering shut and her chest is heaving. His hands are still tight on her hips—she might have bruises tomorrow, and he shouldn’t be nearly as fond of that idea as he is—but she’s twined the fingers of one hand with Louis’s. If she weren’t moving so intimately with Liam, her eyes fixed on his when she can keep them open, he’d be jealous._ _

__As it is, he just keeps moving and thinking about Harry, about the way she’s tethered to him and to Louis right now, about the weight of Louis’s eyes on him. When Harry’s eyes get to be too much—wide and barely green at all and never moving from his—he turns to look at Louis._ _

__Louis is watching them closely, but not with the expression of someone using the scene in front of him to get off. He looks fond, maybe—Liam can’t quite read the expression but he thinks he’s got the gist of it._ _

__He takes one hand off Harry’s hip and moves it to rest on top of where her fingers are laced through Louis’s, and somehow it’s that, combined with meeting Harry’s eyes again, that tips him over the edge and he’s going taut as he comes._ _

__After, he’s shaking too much to do anything but pull out slowly, wishing he could work his hand between Harry’s legs and finish her off once more. As soon as he’s thought it, though, he sees Louis doing exactly that, and it’s only moments later that Harry collapses on top of him, breathing hard and gasping into his shoulder._ _

__Liam manages to take the condom off and toss it in the direction of the bin—belatedly, he hopes Louis did the same with his—and wish he had the energy to drag himself up to shower and maybe change the sheets as well before Harry’s arm is tight around his waist and he’s being dragged into a sleepy cuddle._ _

__He wakes the following morning to Harry handing over cups of tea, her smile a little lopsided. Liam has no idea how she found anything in his mess of a kitchen, but he rather likes that she did. Louis yawns and grins at him, rolling so that he’s pressed up against Liam’s side in the space that Harry left when she somehow extricated herself from the bed without waking either of them._ _

__Once the cups of tea are distributed—Liam’s doesn’t have nearly enough sugar, but he can’t bring himself to say anything—Harry settles down on his other side. She’s all perky and clean, her hair bouncy like it’s just been washed, and she smells vaguely of his shampoo._ _

__Belatedly, Liam realizes he’s sniffing her hair._ _

__“I used your shower, I hope that’s okay,” she says with a knowing smile._ _

__“Of course,” Liam says. He doesn’t even mind that he and Louis didn’t get to join her, because he feels like it might not be stretching to say they’re going to do this again. Louis’s head is pillowed on his shoulder as he sips his tea, and Harry’s curled under his arm. They both look sleepy—a bit hungover, maybe—and comfortable, and there’s not even a little bit of Liam that wants to make them move._ _

__They haven’t talked about this, and they really ought to; he’s got no idea what they’re doing, but it’s the morning after what should really have been a one-night stand, and he’s curled around two people he picked up at the pub last night like he’s known them for years._ _

__“What’re we doing for breakfast?” Louis asks, his voice rumbling against Liam’s neck._ _

__“I’m too hungover to cook,” Harry says immediately._ _

__“S’all right,” Liam says, because he’s pretty sure all the food that’s in his flat is some stale bread and some questionable sausages. He meant to go to the supermarket yesterday and it just didn’t happen, as he was a bit distracted by getting seduced and all._ _

__When they shuffle out the door a significant amount of time later, both Harry and Louis are in shirts of Liam’s, and it’s tremendously difficult not to just drag them back into the flat and pull the shirts off so he can put his hands back on their bare skin. Liam manages it only by reminding himself he needs to eat._ _

__They go to a cafe a few streets from his flat, with good proper breakfast food and better coffee, and Liam’s barely got a third of the way through his eggs before he’s laughing so hard he nearly chokes, because Harry’s made a horrifically dirty joke. He kicks her under the table in retaliation, and she mock-pouts at him for so long he’s genuinely worried he’s hurt her until Louis can’t hold his laughter in any longer and puts his head down on the table, snorting indelicately._ _

__The waitress is giving them a dirty look, and Liam could not possible care any less._ _

__He tries to drag himself away, because his groceries aren’t going to buy themselves, and goodness knows that’s not the only thing he needed to get done today, but Louis’s cajoling smile and Harry’s dimple make it difficult to leave the table._ _

__“Are you working tonight?” Louis asks, when they’ve been laughing over empty plates for longer than Liam cares to admit._ _

__For all that’s happened, he’s still slightly taken aback that Louis asks, because why should Louis care, right? But Liam answers nonetheless—he’s working, but not until closing, so he’ll probably be off around eleven, unless things go horribly wrong._ _

__Harry smiles even wider and says, “So, we’ll be by around ten, does that sound good?” and Liam’s nodding before he even thinks it through. It’s not at all what he expected, but he already feels like he’d be oddly bereft without them coming by the pub again._ _

__Possibly it’s best he doesn’t volunteer that, because it sounds almost creepy, even in his own head._ _

__“I promised my mum I’d call in—shit, ten minutes ago,” Louis says as he stands. Liam expects him to leave with some sort of cursory goodbye, maybe an innuendo about having more sex tonight. Instead, he presses a quick kiss to the tip of Harry’s nose and a slightly more lingering on to her lips, and then does exactly the same to Liam._ _

__Harry ends up coming to the supermarket with Liam, because she swears she doesn’t have anything better to do, and then pouting at him until he buys all kinds of posh things he’s never heard of that she swears she can cook with. The endeavor ends with them standing in Liam’s still-messy kitchen, trying to sort out where to put all the new acquisitions and giggling as they do it. Liam gives in to the urge to touch her dimple with his thumb more than once, and he’s nearly late to work because they can’t quite stop kissing._ _

__In her defense, Harry does make a pretty spectacular fry-up the following morning. Liam and Louis drink tea at the table, their legs tangled together, as they watch her circling the kitchen like she’s known it forever, using at least a third of the mysterious things she forced Liam to buy. He’s kind of got the idea they don’t want to leave, which probably ought to be strange but—it’s kind of all right. He doesn’t much want them to leave, either._ _


End file.
